31 May 2016

It is time to return to a band I
reviewed last year, the Italian groove metal machine Forklift Elevator.
Last year I reviewed their first album 'Elevator'
(our review is cleverly linked here) and it was a good effort, but to be
honest as well played as the music sounds, it is not the sort of music I tend
to go for these days. Groove metal is the usual bread and butter of our
review, Mr Chris Jermyn. But I have recently given him a ton of album to
review, so it has fell to me once again to review the latest release from the Vigorovea
natives. From what I remember and the briefest read of the last review, Forklift
Elevator are a mixture of groove metal, trash metal and have one of the
strangest names I have heard in a long time. Much like 'Elevator', the
cover is very minimal and start. A grey backdrop with the band's logo
engraved and a noose just hanging there, with the EP titled at the bottom,
scratched in red along the bottom. But this is not looking at the EP, so
it is time to see if this has added anything to the band's repertoire…...

Starting the EP is the brief introduction track "Life Denied" which
is over in just over a minute, it reminds me of the beginning of parts of Judas
Priest "Night Crawler" and any Pantera song you can think
about. It gives way to "Bagger 288" which is not a song about
the strip-mining machine, but a groove metal song that aims for the body and
looking to start a mosh pit in a room by itself. The song is nothing that
has not been done before by other acts, but it is still a good tune that will
be well received by groove metal fans around the world. "The 8th
Sin" followers a similar suit to "Bagger 288" with a tune that reminds
me of bands such as Biohazard and Sick of It All, it has that alternative metal
90's feeling about it and it is certainly one that does its job very
well. It is larger than life, an explosive song and one which will once
again have many fans all over this planet of ours. However, this is still
a song which I can appreciate the craftsmanship, yet still not completely fall
under its charms. "Deception" slows the speed down a little,
but it does not lessen the intensity as it moves towards a sound that is akin
to a mixture of Pantera and Soulfly/Sepultra. The song is a stomper that
jumps around and has a lot of energy going for it, it is does hold a certain
charm and it is one of the better groove metal numbers I have heard in recent
years. But once again I am left appreciating the effort that went into
this, rather than enjoying the song like a fan of the genre would.

"Black Hole" is probably the weakest song on the EP here, with a
slowed down-tuned riff that seems to grind without reaching the peak it is
aiming for and changing to an Alice In Chains song half way through for a few
seconds. Once again, I cannot fault the performance of Forklift Elevator
on this song as they play the song competently and there is a good degree of
talent in this band, but it is not something I can connect with after many
spins and the song leaves me a little cold. The penultimate track "I
Executor" and I can finally say there is a track on here which I actually
really enjoy, rather than admire for the talent, this song has an interesting
opening it has this nu-trash/groove riff that sparks the tune into life and it
all comes together in a little ball of furry that ignites the imagination and
brings out the best in the band for me. Ending the album is "Hidden
Self" and firstly I would like to say thank fuck there is not a slow and
moody number that is a mixture of acoustic guitars and heavy trash riffs, there
has been too much of a fashion for that in nu-trash metal releases recently and
it has been annoying me. What we have here is a mean and moody piece, but
it is all power, all grind and it comes across pretty good if the truth be
told. It grinds slowly before reaches a nature faster crescendo, then it heads
towards the end and the clear tones of the guitar guide the audience to the end
of this EP.

I really want to like this, I feel slightly sad that it is sort of passing me
by. As I have said throughout this review, it is not the fault of the
band as this is a well-produced EP and their performance sounds sharp,
intelligent and one that will have fans of groove metal, trash metal and metal
in general in rapture. It could be one that takes them to a higher level,
give them international attention, but for me it was just a good release with a
few songs that I really enjoyed and a performance that I admire more than
loved. If you are looking for something in metal that is not full of
keyboards and is as far from chart metal, I would recommend checking this out
and making up your own mind.

30 May 2016

I'm unsure as to how to go about reviewing Pillars by Austalian duo Mesarthim. Do I review it as an EP because it's only four tracks long? Or as an album because it's over 37 minutes long and I have several albums shorter than that? Let's just see how it goes.

The band themselves, as I said, are from Australia but other than that little is known about them. They don't even have names. They released their debut album last year which was called Isolate, which seems to have been well recieved. Ostensibly they're an Atmospheric Black Metal band but there's several other aspects and nuances to their music that give them a unique sound. At least to my ears.

The opening track is the title track and when I said they were atmospheric before? That doesn't do justice to way the sounds almost makes you feel like you're heading through the lonely, claustrophobic depths of space whilst also admiring the grand, epic beauty of it. A slow pounding riff is accompanied by sweeping synths and some incongruous keyboards that have almost a Poppy quality to their melody. There are the occasional bursts of harshly screamed vocals that I have no idea if they are just that or if there's actual lyrics to them., not that it matters particularly. The song takes a few twists along the way and the electronics often come to the fore. The song eventually comes to a close after 13 1/2 minutes.

The next track is Orbiting and it'sonly a mere 6 minutes long. The guitars are much more prominent though those weird 80's Synthpop keyboards are present too. There's an Opeth-like quiet passage halfway through that stops Orbiting becoming too repetitive. Again, the vocals are quite sporadic but incomprehensible to me. I'm woefully un-KVLT.

Following that is the track 11 which is frustratingly 11 minutes and 4 seconds long. I'm sure they could have shaved those four seconds off somewhere and made it much more pleasing to the OCD. Musically it falls somewhere between the first two songs; the guitars are prominent but it's slower and more atmospheric. I'm really liking what the plinky plonky keyboards bring to their music. They don't sound silly or out of place but maybe give it a retro Sci-Fi feel. Listening to 11 You can easily imagine yourself adrift in a crippled spacecraft watching yourself slowly tumble towards an unnamed gas giant and an undecided fate.

The fourth and final track is an instrumental called Constellations that kicks of with some electronic beats that are kind of Drum n' Bass in nature. All of a sudden, everything crashes in and we're into the most urgent the band have sounded so far, The guitars chug away but the keyboards could be straight from some cheesy 90's europop band. It shouldn't work but it does, very well. After a couple of minutes the music fades out to just a synth and multi-layered choir vocals, similar to the Halo theme if you remember that? they eventually fade out and there's a peculiar, quiet electronic droning left in the wake.

Pillars is an impressively absorbing piece of work, it's immersive and emotional if not something you'd want to listen to casually. It needs undivided attention to appreciate fully. You should have a listen at least once. Oh and the internet says EP so that's that sorted too.

The reason for that is
the paucity of cohesive info from Wikipedia.
Yes I'm lazy and tend to get my main info from there for dates and names and
albums etc.
I also check reviews both by well-known mags and by bloggers and podcasts.

There is some basic
info-names-ages (which are somewhat worryingly young) and the reason for the
formation of the group.
But it appears that what could have been seen as a gimmick -is now a movement
of sorts - cute metal.
I think it needed to be done.

The music industry -
particularly the rock/metal side - is absolutely and unnecessarily saturated
with men. Usually the women are scantily clad and featuring in an overly
elaborate video as an objectified obsession, or the cause of pain and suffering.

But these young lasses
are headlining and the music is outstanding! They have amazing voices -in tune
even when live-and an extremely hard work ethic for some so young. The element
of choreography adds something...the showmanship and sheer force of
professionalism and creativity is admirable and it's important - it's new and
it works.

Reading the reviews and
listening to various podcasts and YouTube videos gave rise to some interesting
debates. Namely the 'lone man of metal' ranting about how the band have
'cheapened metal'. That they’re ’just a formulated-manufactured j-pop
combo'.

Good grief - bands
over the years have been manufactured -or have manufactured themselves - to
meet popular demand.
They've been there at the right time with the right stuff, yet often wishing to
distance themselves from a genre and prove their authenticity i.e. Nu Metal.

Babymetal haven't done that - they haven't needed to - they have
unapologetically placed themselves front and centre with their own thing.

Welcome to cover roulette!
I have missed picking up an album just for the cover and after looking in the
submissions box, it might be a little bit longer as well. But I am determined
to pick this one up as I need a little diversion for my own mind scape
(remember, we are not getting paid to do this). The album I have
picked at random due to the interesting cover is the latest album from The Virginsmarys,
these guys are a three-piece alternative/punk rock band from Macclesfield,
Cheshire and have been going since 2009. This is their second album after
'King of Conflict' which was released in 2013 and this album was produced by
Gil Norton, who has also worked with the Pixies, Catherine Wheel, Honeycrack,
Throwing Muses and others. I love the image of the person having coins in
their eyes, but the face is not sure what is going on. Is there a hidden
meaning to this image or is it to be took at face value? Either way, it
has taken my interest and now it is time to see if it was worth my while.

"Push The Peddle" is
the first song on this album, it is a rumbling track that sounds as if it is
aching to explode and when it finally does ignite, it really does take on a new
dimension. The start sounds as if it is designed to start a show, settle
the audience down slightly and then give them an excuse to bounce around with
the chorus and the shouting later on in the song. I like it, but I have a
feeling there is better to come from this band and album. "For You
My Love" is a protest song mixed in with a declaration of love and the
willing to sacrifice one's own life for a loved one, it is a song that reminds
me a bit of the Wildhearts and the Almighty during their 'Powertrippin'
era. It is a hard rock number that has a strong message at its centre and
it picks up the pace once again, two good songs so far which are creating a
good impression on me. The third track is called "Halo in her
Silhouette" which has an old school punk 'n' roll feeling to these ears,
the riff is an infectious one that truly grabbed my attention from the first
time I listened to the album. It is also not a flash in the pan as it
bounces around your brain and makes the hairs on your neck stand up. This
song to a lady that is likened to an addiction in some sections of this song
just hits all the right buttons for me, definitely one of the best songs of the
album. The fourth track is called "Free to Do Whatever They
Say" and this song ticks all the boxes for a new classic for me, it has a
shit load of energy, a fantastic and infectious riff that makes the hairs stick
up on the back of your neck and it sticks in your mind. I cannot help but
hit the repeat button on this song, it just sounds huge and life affirming to
me. It is just what the doctor ordered as they give a new alternative
rock anthem for me, it is one that the neighbours have been enjoying as well -
even if they do not like it, as it has been played awfully loudly these last
few days.

"I Wanna Take You Home"
is a song about control and it is either personal demons or lust, I have not
quite worked out which one it is yet. It is what I would call a good old
fashion stomper; it is not vintage in anyway or dated, it is just a good &
honest song that just rocks out. It is a no-brainer that hits all the
right spots, it might not be the most spectacular on this records, but it is
still a great song in my opinion with a dark undertone to the riff and a slight
touch of glam rock to the guitars in places almost akin to the sound of Swedish
band, Backyard Babies. "Walk in My Shoes" marks the half way
point of this album, this can best be described as the reflective number.
It slows the album down a little, but not by so much that it is derailed -
every stomp needs a rest every now and then (unless you are a grindcore album,
then it is peddle to the floor all the way through). Anyway, back to the
song - this is a song which warning people not to judge until you know what the
other person has been through, a message that a lot of people should really
listen to. It is a great song, a slow burner that reveals more with each
listen and adds a different dimension to the album, it keeps everything going
in the right direction for the band and draws your interest in the album much
further than before (which was already pretty high in the first instance.
"Kill The Messenger" brings back the energy to this record, a song
that adds another layer of drama to the album. The drumming has a Celtic
battle feeling towards it, the steady beat which is still fast sounds like the
Scottish are ready to come over the border and take the land back from the
English once more. Considering this band are from Macclesfield, I must
guess this was not a sound they were thinking about; but it is also a song that
gives off a vibe that has a mixture of Clutch, Queens of the Stone Age and
(this is probably why I got the feeling of a band wanting to come over the
border) The Skints. It is a great number that has the right amount of
menace and energy that propels this song towards the horizon and beyond.
"Into Dust" is a song about being sick of the battle, the lies and
general bullshit that is surrounding a person and wanting to have a little bit
more to a group of people or singular person apart from the waves of strife and
broken dreams. It is another huge punk riff, with big ambitions and a
stellar performance from the band. This song sounds huge, it sounds as if
it is destined to go down a storm at their shows with the huge outpouring of
emotion being something that people will be able to relate to.

"Moths to a Flame" slows things down slightly, but only by the
smallest amount as the band start the song starts. It is about being
drawn to something, trying to be supportive in many way, yet always knowing that
it might not be right but still seeing it through till the end (at least that
is the message that I am taking from this song). It is a complicated song
lyrically, something that makes so much sense and people will be able to
identify different things from the song and it will still have the same
power. It is a grower for me, a song that takes a few spins to reveal its
beauty to the world and it is worth the persistence as it a beautiful
number. "Falling Down" is straight out of the block and it
starts a fire in your mind that is never going to be put out, a fast punk
number that has a massive riff, a great drumbeat and a brilliant bass line in
it as well. I played this the other week on a radio show I present called
Attention Please in the North East of England and after each show I put up a
list of what is played on the show. When that was done, Danny Dee (I am
guessing that it is drummer Danny Dolan) dropped a message by the official
Virginmarys Facebook page thanking us for the spin and stating that it is one
of his favourite songs off the album. I have to agree it is one of the
best songs off this record, it have a brilliant amount of energy and it does
not let the speed down one iota throughout the song. It was so close to
being my top track as well, but was just pipped at the post. The
penultimate song of the album is called "Motherless Land" which goes
between sentiment, reflection and full out rock mode when the song requires
that slight pickup of energy. It is a great moment that builds around a
room full of memories and all the feelings that come from those sort of
events. It is another grower and it takes its time to get settled for me,
but it is a still a great number as we head to the final track. The name
of that song is "Living in My Place" which is one of the best songs I
have heard in 2016, it is a slow building number about growth, acceptance and
the need to belong. It starts with an acoustic guitar and a sense of
closure and admittance to the reality of the situation, but then it explodes
into the chorus which sinks into your mind instantly and refuses to move.
There is another verse about not wanting to be anything but true to themselves,
then comes that chorus once again and from there on in, the song just builds
towards a fantastic ending. It just keeps looping and building
around a simple, yet effective riff and the performance is outstanding.
It has been pretty much on repeat since I heard it (obviously when I have free
time away from the blog) and it makes such a dramatic impact at this late stage
of the album and ends it on a huge high!

I think it is safe to say I love this album; it is a blast from beginning to
finish with each track being as memorable as the last. There are a few
growers in the mix, which keep on giving with each release and sometimes that
is needed. If I was to look for any negatives, I would not be able to
find one that is not me being superficial, as I love this album. It does
have a sound that is a little retro in places with an alternative rock sound
that has been missing from the music scene, but it still has a current edge to
the album as well; it is a special release with the work of the band and
producer Gil Norton being of an incredibly high standard and it will be welcome
by any fan of punk, grunge and alternative music as a whole - purchase now, why
have you not purchase it? Do it and thank you cover roulette for bring up
another winner!

Life of Agony can never be accused of taking the easy route, that is something that can be said for them. It could be the fact that the...

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Album scoring system

0 - This is proof there is no deity1 - You're really are touching the bottom of the barrel with this one2 - If only there was some quality control3 - It could have been a bit better4 - Well it's alright, but still......5 -Not for everyone but played well6 - Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there7 - This is good and well worth a check8 - Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my money, time and heart9 - Almost perfect....Almost10 - This is proof there is a deity(For albums that are too crazy to be marked)Crazy Cat symbol - This album cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens

Singles/EP Marking System

0 - Only to be listened to by people bless with the gift of being deaf1 - Not so much on the bad that it is bottom of the barrel, but it can see the stuff down there2 - Not bad, not good - so average it is Zen3 - Decent, getting there4 - This is really good, well worth checking out5 - I wish I had extra ears to love this more(For Singles/EPs that are too crazy to mark)Crazy Cat symbol - This release cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens